I have confession to make: I watch Glenn Beck (and, to a lesser extent, Sean Hannity) at least 2-3 times a week. My friends find this amazing when I tell them. Let me explain. First, no, I don’t agree with almost anything Beck and Hannity say; in fact, I spend about 40% of the show voicing my disagreements out loud (by myself). Second, rarely do I find myself learning anything (although I will admit that on very rare occasions some things they say are legitimate points). Generally, I not only disagree with what they’re saying- I’m often shocked by the self-confidence they have to make utterly false statements- but also the way they say it. While Glenn Beck is constantly whining about the left attacking him and claiming that he only points out bad things about government for the betterment of society, you never see Newt Gingrich being slapped up on the chalkboard with his background and associations from twenty years ago called into question. FOX News is not fair and balanced.
However, I still find merit, besides getting my blood boiling, to watching FOX News. First, I find it amazing (read: frightening) that Beck commands the followers he has, and it would be unwise not to check in from time to time to understand what it is he says to those who hang on his every word. Also, when I and fellow liberals see a Youtube video with a guy interviewing teapartiers, the minute they mention FOX, Beck or Hannity, we assume them to be partisan zombies, incapable and unwilling to listen to any other point of view. Then, we sit down and turn on MSNBC (admittedly biased, although not as much as FOX) or read The New Republic or check out Talking Points Memo to get our news. Certainly, we’ve fallen into a similar trap on the other side: putting on news-blinders.
If that teapartier claimed Obama was a socialist Muslim and then explained that they get their news from FOX, CNN, MSNBC, the Times, The Atlantic and Charlie Rose, I’d still disagree with them, but I’d have a much harder time saying they’re ill-informed. Indeed, they would be less ill-informed. By watching FOX News, I may only run across one point in the whole day (if that) that I agree with, but at least I understand what the other side is saying. I may go to freerepublic.com just to see how unintelligent and hateful people can be, but no one can say I haven’t heard both sides before making up my mind. In a world of polarized media- and I’m not saying all “mainstream media” is liberal, it’s not- those who truly hope to have the full picture are going to have to go outside their comfort zones to hear an opposing viewpoint.
However, I still find merit, besides getting my blood boiling, to watching FOX News. First, I find it amazing (read: frightening) that Beck commands the followers he has, and it would be unwise not to check in from time to time to understand what it is he says to those who hang on his every word. Also, when I and fellow liberals see a Youtube video with a guy interviewing teapartiers, the minute they mention FOX, Beck or Hannity, we assume them to be partisan zombies, incapable and unwilling to listen to any other point of view. Then, we sit down and turn on MSNBC (admittedly biased, although not as much as FOX) or read The New Republic or check out Talking Points Memo to get our news. Certainly, we’ve fallen into a similar trap on the other side: putting on news-blinders.
If that teapartier claimed Obama was a socialist Muslim and then explained that they get their news from FOX, CNN, MSNBC, the Times, The Atlantic and Charlie Rose, I’d still disagree with them, but I’d have a much harder time saying they’re ill-informed. Indeed, they would be less ill-informed. By watching FOX News, I may only run across one point in the whole day (if that) that I agree with, but at least I understand what the other side is saying. I may go to freerepublic.com just to see how unintelligent and hateful people can be, but no one can say I haven’t heard both sides before making up my mind. In a world of polarized media- and I’m not saying all “mainstream media” is liberal, it’s not- those who truly hope to have the full picture are going to have to go outside their comfort zones to hear an opposing viewpoint.
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